My great grandfather Pvt.William Ellijay Gilmer (1848-1914) answered the call in early August 1861 as a drummer boy in the 14th Georgia Infantry Regiment, Co. C, Jasper County Light Infantry. He requested a transfer to Co.G, Yancy's Independents, as a rifleman at the age of 14, and saw his first action at the battle of Seven Pines. At the age of 14, William "Bill" Gilmer became a rifleman and performed that duty for the rest of the war. Pvt. Gilmer survived the war unscathed, including the hardships at the seige of Petersburg.He marched back to Jasper County Georgia, and arrived home in early July 1865. Bill Gilmer migrated to Jefferson, Texas in 1870 and was married at Gatesville Texas in 1874. He died in 1914 and is buried in the Smith Cemetery, northeast Lampasas County. A granite marker installed by the S.C.V. marks his place of rest.

Brief history of the 14th Georgia Infantry Regiment:
On July 17, 1864 Col. Amolus Vandershose Brumby was elected colonel and began to raise the 14th Georgia Infantry Regiment. On November 21, 1861, the regiment was fully organized and Col. Brumby resigned and returned to private life. Later commanders of the regimenr were: Col.Felix Price, Col.Robert W.Folsom (died of wounds on May 24, 1864) and Col. Richard P. Lester who surrendered at Appomatox on April 9,1865. Lt.Col. Whitehead S. Ramsey, age 21, of the 14th Georgia Infantry was one of the youngest colonels in the Confederate army.

The 14th Georgia Infantry was assigned to Gen. Wade Hampton's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. The regiment saw action at the battles of Seven Pines, Seven Days, Cedar Mountain, Ox Mill, Harper's Ferry, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Jerico Ford, 2nd Cold Harbor and the Seige of Petersburg where 4,000 ragged Confederates held against 48,000 Federal troops.